Following the success of his 2005 debut solo album ‘Things Buried’, Barbieri delved deeper into a world of intricate textures, harmonic complexity & rhythmic innovation with 2008's ‘Stranger Inside’. Entirely written & produced by Barbieri, the album is a testament to his visionary approach to electronic & ambient music. It features a stellar cast of collaborators, including long-time creative partner Steve Jansen (mixing & coarranging), Gavin Harrison (drums) & acclaimed double bassist Danny Thompson. The album also incorporates radical & atmospheric manipulations of sampled voices, including those of Tim Bowness & Suzanne Barbieri, adding an ethereal dimension to its predominantly instrumental core.

Richard Barbieri first came to prominence as a founding member of the influential band Japan, whose innovative blend of art rock, electronic music & pop helped define a generation. Albums such as ‘Tin Drum’ established the group's lasting legacy, while Barbieri's pioneering synthesiser work became a major influence on countless musicians. Following Japan's dissolution in 1983, he continued to explore new musical territory through numerous collaborations, co-founding the Medium label with Steve Jansen & Mick Karn before becoming an integral member of Porcupine Tree where he contributed to a succession of critically acclaimed & commercially successful albums, helping establish the band as one of the defining progressive rock acts of the modern era.

Presented in a CD digipack format, this new 2026 edition of ‘Stranger Inside’ features Steve Jansen's original 24-bit mixes, newly prepared for release & offering an exceptionally detailed & dynamic listening experience. Long regarded by Barbieri as the most faithful representation of the album's sonic character, these mixes reveal new depth & subtlety within one of his most celebrated solo works.